A Body Broken for a Broken People: Marriage, Divorce and the Eucharist

Francis J. Moloney’s A Body Broken for a Broken People has become a classic study of what the New Testament reveals about the Eucharistic practice of the early Church. Completely revised and extended to address contemporary pastoral issues in light of Pope Francis’s Synod on the Family, this substantially revised edition examines the New Testament’s discussion of divorce, remarriage, and access to the Eucharistic table. Through a close reading of the New Testament texts, Professor Moloney shows that, without fail, they indicate that the Eucharist is not a reward for the perfect, but God’s gracious nourishment for the weak. A Body Broken for a Broken People provides fresh insights from the Scriptures into the purpose of the Eucharist in the Christian community, Eucharistic hospitality, and especially what it means for those who have divorced and remarried. It is also an exemplary case study of courageously reading the New Testament with fresh eyes, and contributing exegetical insight to a responsible examination of the Church’s pastoral practices.